Glow lamp



April 29, 1941. P. J. KAYATT GLOW LAMP Filed Aug. 2, 1940 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATES PATNT QFFICE GLOW;'LAMP ihilip J. Kayatt, New York, N. Y. Application August 2, 1940, Serial No. erases 4 Claims. iill. 176-1 1) This invention relates generally to lamps used for display ornamentation and religious purposes.

More specificallythis inventionrelates to electric lamps of the cathode glow type where a i combination of luminous, illuminated and dark surfaces is employed to give rise to zcertaindesirable effects.

One object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive form of electricglow lamp, suitable foruse on commercial lighting circuits without the employment of voltage transforming apparatus, and which shall display figures having vary-ing degrees of illumination with respect to one another.

Another object of this invention is to aiford a three dimensional effect in electric glow lamps of the character just mentioned.

Still another purpose of this invention is to cause a non-luminous character or figure to ap pear as though standing out or separated by a space from a background or pluralityof backgrounds.

Yet another object is to causes. dark figure or character to be-visible against a non-luminous background, by theinterposition of a glowing electrode between such figure and its background.

Another purpose is to provide a glowing electrode with a background suited so as to be directly behind cutout portions of the glowing electrode and so as to receive sufiicient illumination from the glowing electrode so that it will afford sufiicient contrast whena dark figure or character is located between the observer and such background.

Another object is to so locate and illuminate a metallic structure in a glow lamp of the character described, that it will resemble a ligneous element.

To illustrate one form of this invention there has been :chosen a form of ornament widely used as an object for religious rites and worship in certain religions. This form shows a figure in the human form visible against a cruciform background. This background is dimly illuminated by a luminous element placed between the figure and its \background. The luminous element is cut out so that the background will be visible through the cutout portion. The complete structure gives the eifect of a body standing out from a cross which resembles in appearance dark wood. A light-giving halo seems to emanate from the periphery of the lCI'OSS'.

This invention embodies certain features of the silhouette form of glow lamp disclosed in the U. S. patent of Philip J. Ka-yatt No. 1,989,041 issued January 22, 1935.

In producing the embodiment -of my inven tion herein described, I utilize a transparent envelope or shell, filled with a gaseous mixture including at least. one gas suitable for giving rise to cathode glow phenomena under potentials employed in ordinary household lighting circuits. This transparent envelope contains an 'electrode luminous when the lamp is excited having a portion thereof cut away. A dark electrode is placed behind the cutout portion of the luminous electrode and serves as a background.

An electrically inert figure is suitably supported in front of the luminous electrode so asto appear outlined principally against the dark electrode in the background. The dark electrode just referred to does not glow per se but receives a certain degree of illumination from the glowing electrode, so that it affords sufiicient contrast with the inert figure in the foreground.

The electrodes and figure are suitably supported Within the transparent shell, for example by means of the customary internal press well known in the art and conductors from the electrodes pass out through this press and may be connected to a source of electric potential by any suitable means, for example by terminating them in the usual threaded base suitable for insertion in an ordinary electrical socket.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing where Fig. 1 is a face view in elevation of one form of glow lamp embodying my invention.

.Fig. 2 is a side or edge view in elevation of the same lamp illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the drawing reference numeral 1 illustrates a transparent envelope, such as an ordinary I glass bulb, provided with connection point 8 in the shape of a threaded metallic shell and connection point 9 in the shape of a contact disc, these two contact points forming a screw base suitable for insertion in an ordinary electric socket.

Electrode I 0 is in the form of a cross and is preferably connected to function as the anode of this lamp. Electrode II is likewise in the form of a cross larger in each dimension than the cross which forms electrode [0, and having a portion of approximately the same size, or somewhat smaller than electrode l0 cut away, so that electrode It! may be visible through this cutout section. These electrodes may be made of any suitable material such as nickel and are supported from the press II by suitable metallic members l3, which likewise act to conduct the current thereto.

These supporting members [3 are preferably enclosed within insulating material such as illustrated by the glass tubes [4, which act to prevent any glow discharge from taking place between these supporting members. The supporting members I3, after leaving insulating tubes [4 pass through a mica disc I5, which rests upon the upper ends of tubes l4.

Supporting members 13 have affixed to their upper ends by any suitable means, such as welding, the two electrodes l and Il, previously described. The dark and electrically inert body I6 is shown as afiixed to electrode II by means of a glass bead H which has fused therein electrically separate sections of metallic wire which can readily be welded or otherwise affixed to electrode II and body Hi. It is of course understood that other means of mechanical support may be employed to position the electrodes and the dark body.

An electric resistance member I8 is shown interposed between one electrode and contact disc 9, but it is possible to place this resistance element at any other suitable point, as well known in the glow lamp art.

Envelope 1 is filled with a suitable gas at a pressure adapted for its luminescence with the voltages used in this lamp. Such gas may be a single elementary gas or a mixture of gases may be employed in order to produce varying colors or to enhance the luminescent effects.

It is understood that the electrodes may be wholly or partly coated with compositions commonly used to facilitate glow discharges at low voltages and of a character suitable for ensuring long life.

If so desired, an electrical connection (not shown) may be provided between dark body l6 and the exterior of the envelope. Such a connection may be employed during the process of tube manufacture for the purpose of cleaning up this dark body but it is not contemplated that such connection shall be maintained during the normal operation of the lamp.

It is to be understood that materials commonly used for cleaning up vacuum tubes may be employed in the manufacture of these tubes, but it is preferred that such materials be so disposed that they shall not form a coating upon the surface of the glass, within the field of view.

While I have chosen an object of religious significance to illustrate this invention, yet it is to be understood that the same form of construction may be employed with other objects or simulacra employed for other purposes, such as advertising and the like and I do not intend to so limit the scope of this invention, since it is capable of modifications such as will occur to persons skilled in the art.

When excited by connection to an alternating electric current, the element It will of necessity function alternately as cathode and as anode. If it be desired to preserve the dark appearance of this electrode, it may have the electronemitting coating upon the rear side only thereof, or element It! may be left unconnected and in lieu thereof another electrode of suitably small size may be located behind cross H), or at any other point where it will not be visible from the front of'the lamp.

I claim:

1. In a gas glow lamp, two electrodes arranged so as to be unequally illuminated by cathode glow during excitation of the lamp upon either direct or alternating current, the more-illuminated electrode having an opening therein, the lessilluminated electrode being so situated as to be at least partly visible through said opening in the more-illuminated electrode and an electrically unconnected silhouette located so as to be visible against the less-illuminated electrode as a background, said less illuminated electrode and said silhouette being located upon opposite sides of said more illuminated electrode and said silhouette being at a distance from the illuminated electrode sufiiciently great so as to allow free formation of said cathode glow upon said illuminated electrode.

2. A gas lamp including a transparent envelope, a gas filling said envelope and exhibiting cathode glow effects when electrically excited, an electrically inert simulacrum supported in said envelope and a background for said simulacrum, said background including a first electrode so connected as to display a cathode glow when excited by direct or alternating current and having a cut-away portion situated behind said simulacrum and also including a second electrode located behind said first electrode, whereby both background electrodes will be visible when viewing said simulacrum from the front of the lamp.

3. A glow discharge lamp including an anode, a cathode situated before said anode and having a central cut-away section through which said anode is visible, and a simulacrum insulated from said cathode and supported in front of said cut-away section of said cathode.

4. A glow discharge lamp including two sub stantially planar active electrodes and an inactive simulacrum, all arranged at different distances from the front of the lamp, the simulacrum lying nearest the front, the rearmost electrode having at least the forward surface thereof free from material capable of sustaining a cathode glow discharge when the lamp is excited, the intermediate electrode having on atleast the part thereof which is visible from the front of the lamp a material capable of exhibiting a cathode glow discharge when the lamp is excited, and said intermediate electrode having a cut-away portion through which said rearmost electrode can be seen from the front of the lamp.

, PHILIP J. KAYATT. 

